NOTICE TO MARINERS - USE CAUTION WHILE TRANSITING UNDER THE MURRAY STREET BRIDGE

As part of the City of Santa Cruz’s Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit & Barrier Replacement Project, the City’s contractor, Shimmick Construction, will begin intermittent partial channel closures beneath the bridge as early as Monday, August 4, 2025.

Closures will be temporary and only affect one side of the channel at a time. Access to the north harbor will remain open at all times. When work is underway, flag boats will be on scene to direct vessel traffic through the open side of the channel and away from the work zone.

Boaters should use caution when transiting beneath the bridge, be prepared for possible delays, and follow the instructions of flag boats or other safety personnel.

For more information about the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit & Barrier Replacement Project, please visit the City of Santa Cruz’s project website.

Published: August 1, 2025

Notice to Stakeholders

The City of Santa Cruz’s Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project is in full swing. As part of the project, the Port District has successfully:

• Relocated the FF-Dock rowing rack to its new, temporary location at AA-Dock.
• Awarded a contract to Cushman Contracting Corporation (Cushman) for the Demolition and Reconstruction of FF-Dock (work is required to clear the temporary construction easement area for the City’s contractor).
• Cleared a portion of the boatyard to facilitate access for the City’s contractor to the designated temporary construction easement within that area.

On June 23, 2025, the Port District’s contractor, Cushman, will begin mobilization activities on the west side of the harbor. Once mobilized, initial work for the project will focus on landside electrical improvements, with in-water demolition and reconstruction of FF-Dock to follow. The area will become an active construction zone, with heavy equipment, materials, and ongoing activity throughout the duration of the project. Harbor users are advised to use caution at all times while transiting the area.

Additionally, these construction activities will affect parking availability along the waterfront between E-Dock and FF-Dock. During this time, parking will be limited, and pedestrian access routes will be modified to ensure a safe buffer around the active construction zone. Signage and detour information will be posted to assist harbor users. Dedicated parking for slip renters and charter customers will be maintained.

Due to the landside electrical work, which requires significant trenching in the area, access to the FF-Dock hand launch ramp will be temporarily unavailable at times through the end of July. The harbor’s main launch ramp and A-Dock hand launch ramp will be available for use during this time.

Ahead of the in-water demolition and reconstruction work, temporary slip relocations will be required for vessels berthed at FF-Dock:

• Vessels located on the southern portion of FF-Dock will be temporarily relocated beginning on July 20, 2025, for a duration of approximately three months.
• Vessels located on the northern portion of FF-Dock will be temporarily relocated beginning in late-October/early-November, for the remaining duration of bridge construction.
• All remaining rowing rack vessels occupying space at FF-Dock will be relocated to the new A-Dock rack facility on July 20, 2025, for the remaining duration of bridge construction.

All impacted slip and rack space renters will be contacted directly by the Port District with more detailed information and temporary slip/space assignments.

We appreciate your continued cooperation and patience as this essential work progresses.

Published: June 19, 2025

NOTICE TO MARINERS - USE CAUTION WHILE TRANSITING UNDER THE MURRAY STREET BRIDGE

As part of the City of Santa Cruz’s Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit & Barrier Replacement Project, the City's contractor, Shimmick Construction, will begin performing test borings near the bridge on Monday, April 28, 2025. This work is expected to last approximately 2.5 weeks.

The test boring work will involve leaving a 5” diameter casing installed vertically between the bedrock and the bridge deck. Each boring will be performed individually, with the casing remaining in the water for 1–2 days before being removed.

Access beneath the bridge will not be restricted, however boaters should use caution while transiting the area. The City’s contractor has indicated that the casings will have high visibility markings and be equipped with caution lighting.

For more information about the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit & Barrier Replacement Project, please visit the City of Santa Cruz’s project website.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

Published: April 28, 2025

 Community Stakeholder Meeting

WHEN:
7:00 PM, Tuesday, March 11, 2025

WHERE:
Live Oak Community Center (Simpkins Family Swim Center)
979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

WHAT:
In partnership with the City of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Port District invites you to attend the upcoming community stakeholder meeting to discuss the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project, including construction timelines and associated impacts.

This meeting will provide an opportunity to receive project updates and learn about upcoming impacts to harbor facilities. Representatives from the City of Santa Cruz and the Port District will be available to answer questions and address concerns.

We encourage all slip renters, harbor concessionaires, and interested community members to attend. Your input is valuable!

For detailed project information, including general plans and specifications, please visit the City’s website. 

We look forward to your participation.

Published: February 27, 2025

Project Update

The City of Santa Cruz is proceeding with commencement of the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement project. Mobilization efforts by the City’s contractor, Shimmick Construction, are currently underway.

The City’s seismic retrofit project will strengthen and improve the bridge’s earthquake resiliency, provide bicycle and pedestrian enhancements, as well as barrier modifications for improved views of both the harbor and ocean. For detailed project information, including general plans and specifications, please visit the City’s website.  

UPCOMING IMPACTS TO HARBOR FACILITIES

Shimmick Construction will commence staging activities within their approved easement area on the southwest side of the harbor beginning on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. As a result, parking in the FF-Dock area will be limited, but pedestrian, bicycle, and dock access, will not be impacted at this time (see map below).

To accommodate the City’s construction project, the Port District will be responsible for clearing temporary construction easement areas on both the east and west sides of the harbor, which includes relocating the rowing racks from under the bridge to AA-Dock (est. March 2025) and demolishing and reconstructing FF-Dock (est. June 2025).

The Port District, in collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz, will host a community forum in March to provide additional project details and discuss anticipated impacts. Stay tuned for the confirmed meeting date/time.

PORT DISTRICT COORDINATION AND SUPPORT

To ensure effective communication and timely information dissemination to harbor users during this long-term project, the Port District is in the process of retaining an in-house project manager to serve as a liaison and primary point of contact for slip renters, tenants, and members of the public. 

We appreciate your patience as the City’s construction activities are carefully coordinated and initial mobilization and preconstruction activities commence.  For any project related inquiries, please email scpd@santacruzharbor.org.

Published: February 4, 2025